Women In Flint Say The Water Is To Blame For Their Miscarriages

Pregnant women in the Michigan city believe they have lost their babies as a result to the contaminated H20.

The Flint water crisis is affecting pregnant women in the city in a devastating way.

According to Rewire, two women living Flint spoke out that they believe they lost their babies as a result to the contaminated water.

Rachel Lauren, 30, has four healthy children and found out this past September that she was expecting her fifth.

“I was sleeping a lot, and thought, ‘Oh boy, here we go again. I was excited to have another baby.”

Lauren continued that she moved to Flint in November of 2013, just before the news of the water crisis hit. And like most residents, she used the city’s water for cooking, bathing and drinking. And, thinking nothing of it, she did this while she was pregnant with her last child, Brielle, who is now 11 months old.

But during this most recent pregnancy, she says she experienced serious side effects.

“I know people say it’s normal to bleed old blood sometimes but I never had this before,” she said.

From there, Lauren claim she cramping heavily. She went to the bathroom and passed a lot of bright red blood onto a tissue.

“I felt an overwhelming sense of loss and started to cry. I knew I had lost my baby,” she said.

Later, doctors confirmed that she had miscarried with her amniotic sac still inside of her.

Sadly, she was told she would pass it later.

Doctors say they can’t confirm that the water played a factor in why she lost her baby, but she is clear: It was the water.

“I’m only 30, I’ve had normal healthy pregnancies and four beautiful, healthy children. Now, all of a sudden, I can’t carry a baby?” she said.

Granted miscarriages can happen to anyone, but it cannot be denied that while the city’s population rose by 58 percent, the fertility rates in the city dropped by 12 percent, say the Detroit Free Press.

Another woman shared her story too.

Nakiya Wakes, 42, has miscarried twice, including one last month, since 2014.

“I lost twins again last month,” she said. The first on October 4, and the second on October 27. “It’s devastating. I really believe it’s the water.”

Local activists have co-signed on the women’s claims.

“There have been far too many miscarriages to count,” local activist Melissa Mays told Rewire.

“It’s sad because we have no idea what the heavy metals, carcinogenic byproducts, bacteria, and whatever else we have been, and are still being, exposed to has done to our bodies. Will our sons have low sperm counts? How many young girls will not be able to become mothers because their eggs are poisoned? We just don’t know, and the State of Michigan just wants to sweep it all under the rug like it’s all in the past.”

She added: “I’m never going to trust Flint water again. The damage is already done.A lot of people are still upset. A lot of people have lost their trust. It’s ridiculous what they have done to us. I want people to be aware that we are still struggling and that reports of all the pipes being replaced and the water being safe are not true.”